Jesus in China

S2-Unit Two Lab Questions

Jesus in China <- your first lab link

1. Where did the Christian church worship? Why did they have to gather at this place? The Christian church worshipped in many different places until they found safety in these hills they called “The Bethlehem of China” in 2001. They had to gather at this place to avoid government detection.

2. Why are some groups coming out into the open with their religion? What challenges are there in doing this? It’s not illegal to be a Christian in China but the communist party has always tried to control where and how they worship. Some groups are now coming out in the open because they are committed to spreading their beliefs. There are many challenges, such as getting arrested, being put in prison, being put in labor camp, etc.

3. What actions has the government taken against house and underground churches? The government tries to pursue those who run the houses and underground churches. The actions they have taken are things like passport violations, arrests, and prison sentences against the leaders and sometimes they demolish the houses in which the church ceremonies are being held.  

4. How do the official churches differ from the underground churches? Official churches differ from underground churches because they are run by the government in an attempt to keep Christian faith under control. Over 4,000 people attend official church ceremonies and so six different services are held on Sunday to account for all of the people. But like most of the house services, these official church services are protestant. However, people in the official church follow a gospel that supports socialist principles and they adhere to strict rules of worship. Another big difference is that the pastors are trained and approved by the government.